


Shelter Me

by Cupcakemolotov



Series: mini-drabbles [3]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Or a Couch, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-28 22:52:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13913862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakemolotov/pseuds/Cupcakemolotov
Summary: Caroline needs a break from her exhaustion, and there is one place she'll always be safest.





	1. Chapter 1

"Go away Rebekah," Klaus said irritably, the tread of feet on wood flooring loud in the relative silence. "I'm not in the mood."

The morning has started off decently enough, but the afternoon had descended into a bit of chaos, with his family making enough racket to wake the dead. Any attempts at a quiet, calm afternoon painting was ruined, so he'd retired to the library in the hopes of avoiding his sister's drama.

In vain, apparently.

He set his teeth and closed his eyes for patience as the door opened. A faint, whisper of perfume had his spine stiffening even as his intruder spoke.

"Don't say a word."

Klaus lowered his book in shock, blinking at the sight of Caroline Forbes. She was dressed down in sneakers and jeans, hair pulled back in a messy bun. Her eyes were clear, no sign of tears. Still, she looked worn.

She met his gaze as she continued her approach. "I am not here. This never happened."

Brows bunching together, his lips parted and she violently shook her head. Caroline didn't say another word, just toed off her shoes and climbed onto the couch he'd sprawled across.

Body tight with shock, Klaus was still she crawled up the length of him and pressed her face into his neck. Slowly, agonizingly aware of how each inch of her was pressed against him - breast, stomach, thighs - he swallowed down his surprise.

"Not a word." She repeated, fingers digging into his shirt; breath hot and damp against his neck. Closing his eyes for a moment, he slowly relaxed under the press of her. Just as slowly, the tight, wary lines of her eased. Carefully, he shifted until he could wrap one arm around the back of her, casually lifting his book back to his line of sight.

She trembled against him and then sighed, shifting her cheek to his shoulder, hands loosening their tight grip. Still, Caroline made no move to leave, so Klaus delicately turned the page, eyes unseeing.

He could wait.

Hand stroking down her spine, Klaus settled in for the afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of smut goes a long way.

Caroline woke slowly. She was comfortable in ways she hadn't been in days; her previous exhaustion no longer dragging at her bones, even if she was still tired. Fluttering her lashes open, she couldn't quite bring herself to tense when she realized she was in the exact same position as when she'd fallen asleep.

Klaus was warm beneath her, his hand moving slowly through her hair. For a moment, she considered trying to flash off him, to avoid the conversation she knew he'd want - instead she sighed and closed her eyes. What point was running? She'd approached him, crawled onto this couch and all but forced him to hold her.

And he'd stayed silent, letting her have the sleep, the comfort she'd desperately needed. And now he was waiting her out with his fingers tangled in her hair. There was no avoiding this - what she'd likely changed between them.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Caroline finally murmured, breaking the relaxed silence between them.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Klaus replied, voice soft and low as he smoothed her hair.

"Really?" She tried, but her voice held no bite. He made an amused noise, but said nothing else. Caroline tried to work up the energy to move, but God, for the first time in weeks she was actually resting. No plotting, no worry about ex-boyfriends and no hunters.

She was waiting for the guilt. That in her exhausted paranoia she felt safer with Klaus, than at the Salvatore's - safer than her own bed. If she could just… ignore the bone deep contentment, she'd be fine.

Sighing, because she was tired and wanted more sleep, she forced her muscles to engage. "I should go."

Klaus twisted suddenly, and Caroline found herself underneath him, his body a warm weight against hers. "Why?"

She blinked. His face was curious, the line of him a distraction she didn't need as he watched her. Swallowing, she steeled herself, ignored the butterflies.

"It's getting late."

His eyes trailed over her face. "Yes. It is."

Caroline arched both brows. "Will you let me up?"

"I'm deciding." He mused, gaze lingering on her lips. She felt a spike of awareness in her gut, but she didn't have the good sense to be afraid.

"Klaus…"

"Why did you come to me, Caroline?" Klaus questioned, eyes glittering. "Exhausted, worn and vulnerable - you choose the monster's den. Why?"

Caroline bit her lip, watched his eyes darken. "It's not important."

His lips curved; his eyes turning feral. "You crawled into my arms unbidden, pressed these enticing curves against me for hours, and you think I'll let it go? I can be indulgent, little vampire, but we both know I have limits."

"The hunters know where I live," Caroline finally said, tone weary. "Let's just chalk this to temporary insanity."

"You need blood," he mused.

Caroline blinked at the abrupt change in topic, gasped in surprise as Klaus pulled her into a sitting position, her knees bracketing his hips as his hands cradled her close.

"What are you doing?" She asked, eyes wide. His lips brushed her jaw, touch careful against her skin.

"When was the last time you fed?"

She leaned back against his hold, huffed when he didn't let her move far. "I'll swing by the boarding house for snack. It'll be fine."

"Or you can eat now," Klaus cajoled, hands and words tempting. "Stay the night, and I'll provide breakfast before dealing with the hunters."

Caroline shook her head but he just smiled. "Sweetheart, you're pale and we both know if you'd had the strength, you'd have already left. Instead, you stayed curled around me like a cat, content in my arms and in my home."

"Let's not read into that," Caroline said stubbornly.

"I don't have to. You'd never have come here, never have slept if you didn't feel safe." His fingers stroked down her spine and she shivered, teeth catching her lower lip. "Why not take me up on my hospitality a little further?"

"We both know why," she said exasperated. "I'll be fine."

"Shall we test that?" Klaus mused, his amusement indulgent.

"What?" Her brows tucked together, suddenly uncertain. He laughed low in his throat, the predator who'd cornered his prey. Hand leaving her back, gaze holding hers, his nails gouged into the skin of his neck; blood rising to the surface. Caroline froze, eyes darkening as her gums burned. He angled his head.

"Go on, sweetheart. Why not have just a little taste?"

She struggled, lips parting and he grinned at her, running a bloody fingertip along her lip. She shuddered, throat burning as she tried to ignore the temptation so close to her tongue.

"Remember how good I tasted, Caroline? How warm I was coating your throat?" He rubbed her bottom lip, the heavy sent of his blood drawing her fangs. "Just a taste and you can pull away."

Her tongue flickered out without her permission, and Caroline moaned. Desperate, a little helpless, she leaned forward to sink her teeth into the healing wounds, hands grasping his shirt tightly as she took greedy mouthfuls. He ran his hand under her shirt, kneaded the tight muscles of her back; encouraged her to relax.

"Poor baby vampire," he crooned. "Look at you love, all wound up."

His fingers slid down her abdomen and flicked open her jeans. She unlatched her fangs, heaving out a breath as he brushed against her clit.

"Shhhh, sweetheart," Klaus soothed, fingers sliding into her panties. His voice was coaxing, tone a little rough as he touched her. "Let me sate this need as well; work off some of this stress. It feels so good, doesn't it? My blood in your mouth, my fingers against your clit; let me indulge you, what your body wants so desperately."

Caroline's head was swimming, high on endorphins from his blood and the slow stroke of his fingers. She pressed her face against his shoulder, shuddering as he curled two fingers inside her. Panting against his skin, she moaned as his thumb pressed against her clit.

"That's a good girl," Klaus breathed as her hips rocked against his hand. "Just a little more, love. Can you feel how wet you are, how tightly you're clenching around my fingers? Just a little more, sweetheart. There."

Caroline came in long, slow waves; Klaus' shirt caught tight between her hands. He coaxed her through the aftershocks, until the line of his body was the only thing holding her up. Sliding his hand free of her clothes, murmured low in her ear, the language one she didn't understand; soothing her trembling body with his hands; rocking slowly until she'd settled. Then Klaus stood, her thighs hooked over his hips, body loose and pliant.

"I should go home," Caroline mumbled, lashes fluttering heavily against his neck.

"Tomorrow," Klaus cajoled, hand rubbing up and down her back. "Tomorrow I'll render the hunters limb from limb."

"Klaus," She sighed as he walked, head cradled in the curve of his shoulder.

"Shhh, love." Klaus' lips pressed against her temple, the curve of his lips warm against her skin. They passed through a doorway, and he lowered her onto a bed that smelled like him, hands sliding her free of her jeans as she gave in to the urge to sleep; the pleasure from his blood and her orgasm leaving her languid. "You're safe."

She fell asleep a second time to the sensation of fingers in her hair.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt idea: a continuation of the two short drabbles where Caroline goes to klaus for comfort bc of Silas and falls asleep on him then wakes up a couple hours later and feeds off him and he convinces her to stay the night.

Caroline chewed on her thumbnail in an old, nervous habit. The bitter taste of her nail polish had her finally letting go, breath escaping in a rush. It was a Friday afternoon, she'd skipped school, and now she was two towns over debating her next course of action.

She was hungry, but she wasn't starving. She'd had an extra blood bag two night's ago, knowing she was going to attempt this. It'd been the morning after…. after, that she'd realized just how vulnerable she'd let herself become. Allowing Damon to be her main source of food left her jittery inside, and as much as it rankled, blood bags weren't practical.

It'd rankled, but Klaus had been right, when he'd called her out on her exhaustion. Chewing slowly on her lip, she wondered at her insanity, going to him for help. Her nap on his couch had been comfortable, but waking, entangled in his sheets and sprawled across his chest had been more so. She'd known that he was awake, but he'd lain their in the bed with her for several more moments, only moving when she'd finally worked up the gumption to deal with the situation she'd found herself in.

Neither of them had brought up the orgasm he'd coaxed from her as he'd handed her a blood bag and tracked down her shoes. It was best if she didn't think of it or the way he'd held her after. Klaus could be any number of things to her, but tender and careful were not two of them. She couldn't allow him to slip past her defenses, to tempt her. But knowing of all the terrible things he'd done to her friends, that he'd done to her, were harder to use as a mental shield when he held her.

Taking another deep breath, her spine stiffened as she caught a familiar scent. Twisting around, she glared at Klaus as he sauntered her direction. He hadn't worn a coat, even in the blustering wind, and he still managed to look surprisingly good.

"Hello, sweetheart."

Gaze narrowed, she scowled. "Did you follow me?"

A grin tugged at his mouth as he settled himself next to her on the bench. It was a strangely familiar position for them, and she set her teeth against the pull of the heat of him. "Not today."

Which didn't mean he hadn't followed her in the past. Her fingers curled into fists on top of her thighs, and he tipped his head in her direction. "I killed those who'd thought to hunt you, but we both know that was just the beginning."

She hated that he was right. "Yeah, well, I can take care of myself."

He noncommittal noise, and she turned away from him with a tight jaw. She was tempted to stalk away, but then she'd be forced to head home without at least an attempt to feed from a human. Frustrated that today of all days he'd somehow tracked her down, she'd nearly talked herself into leaving when he finally spoke again.

"What brings you so far from Mystic Falls, love?"

"I don't spend all my time there," she deflected, voice exasperated.

"As delightful as that knowledge is you seemed lost in thought, earlier. Something bothering you?"

Caroline quietly cursed his ability to read her and opened her mouth to deflect, and closed it instead. Carefully, she peered at him from beneath her lashes, and mused on a different possibility. She knew he'd help her, she just wasn't sure what asking him would mean. Klaus turned to meet her suspicious gaze, and the slight smile on his lips died.

"Caroline?"

She caught her lip tightly between her teeth for a heartbeat before sighing. "Were sort of friends, right?"

Both of his brows arched high, something nearly calculating behind his gaze. "Of a sorts."

The way his voice had deepened, gaze flickering across her lips, sent a flush of decidedly unfriendly heat through her veins. Clearing her throat, she narrowed her gaze in warning. "Klaus…"

"What do you need, Caroline?"

She'd worry about the rumble beneath his words later. Shifting away, not quite willing to hold his gaze, she drummed her nails on the bench and struggled to find the best way to explain. The realization that Klaus wouldn't require one, that he merely needed to know that it's what she wanted, sent an unfamiliar pang of anxiety through her chest. Wetting her lips, she glanced at him from beneath her lashes to find him still watching her with an unblinking focus.

"I was thinking… about learning to feed, off something other than blood bags."

Klaus didn't so much as flicker an eyelash. "You're worried about killing someone."

Slowly, she shook her head. "I know when to stop."

How the blood changed on her tongue. When the heart started to labor. She would never forget that carnival, the way she still sometimes woke dreaming of his death.

"One day, you'll tell me what it is about compulsion that leaves you so wary," Klaus said softly. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday."

"Good," he said as he stood. "Your control will last longer that way."

Then he offered her his hand. Caroline opened her mouth and then shut it. His mouth curved upwards.

"Come, Caroline. I have a few hours. More than enough to teach you the basics."

Slowly, she let him pull her to her feet. "Just like that."

"Of course," Klaus drawled. "As you said, we're friends."

But something behind his eyes, something about the glitter there, it warned her to be cautious. Not because she thought he'd hurt her, not then, but that every time he met her hesitations with assurance, each opportunity she gave him to be there, was another stepping stone across her defenses. Klaus wasn't interested in being just friends, even if he was being a surprisingly good one. She needed to be careful, not to expect him to be there, not to look for him every time she needed help.

The day she did was a day that she'd have let him in too far.

But that wasn't today, and this was something she needed to learn. Setting aside her concerns to be analyzed later, she nodded. "Thank you."

A long, lingering glance, and he turned away, pulling her with him. And it was with a jolt that she realized he'd kelt her hand secured in his possession and she didn't mind as much as she should. Forcing herself to listen as Klaus to start talking, Caroline wondered if she'd gotten in over her head when she wasn't looking.


End file.
